


I See Dead People

by tini_dancer



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Adult Losers Club (IT), Bill Hader - Freeform, Comedian Richie Tozier, Dead Eddie Kaspbrak, Dead Stanley Uris, Finn Wolfhard - Freeform, Ghost Eddie Kasprack, Ghost Stanley Uris, Jack Dylan Grazer - Freeform, M/M, Original Character(s), Reddie, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie has a daughter, james ransone - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-20 20:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20233639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tini_dancer/pseuds/tini_dancer
Summary: After defeating It and going back to LA, something draws Richie Tozier into adopting a nine year old orphan named Danielle. He doesn’t believe the rumors that she can communicate with ghosts and look into people’s pasts, like everyone at the orphanage warned him about.Danielle has no desire to tell her loving father the truth. She sees ghosts everywhere. She can touch a person and experience a moment of their past, or an object and its past. She knew that was what pushed potential families away, and she did not want to do that to Richie.While touring with her father and his comedy show, a stop in Augusta, Maine and the ghost of a man with cuts on his wrists leads Danielle to the small town of Derry, where she finds out what loss her father has faced, and the reason why she was so lucky to have been adopted by Richie Tozier.





	I See Dead People

**Author's Note:**

> *Takes place after Chapter 2  
**I wrote this based off of context clues and my knowledge from the internet and the mini series  
***I have not read the book, so if I get something wrong I am sorry  
****Danielle is 9 when Richie adopts her, and is 14 for the rest of the story  
*****I would have waited until Chapter 2 came out, but I would have lost the idea by then

“I will not lie, Mr. Tozier, when I saw your email I thought I was being pranked,” said Ms. Annette Wilson, the owner of the children’s home in Sherman Oaks, “I wouldn’t expect someone as famous as you to come strolling in here wanting to adopt.”

Richie shrugged, “I’ve been alone for a lot of my life. I don’t ever see myself getting married, but I’ve always wanted a kid. Besides, my sister might finally stop bugging me about it.”

“What kind of experience do you have with children? I mean, your shows are not very kid-friendly.”

Laughing, Richie replied, “I’ve babysat my niece multiple times. And even she’s seen my shows, thank you very much.”

“How old is your niece?”

“Four.”

“Ah,” Annette opened the door to her office, “Have a seat, please.”

Richie sat down as Annette took her place behind her desk and pulled up the orphanage’s database on her computer, “So, have you looked to see who you may be interested in adopting?”

“Actually, no not really,” Richie admitted, “Adopting was actually a spur of the moment decision. I really don’t know what’s compelling me to do this.”

“Well, that’s not a problem. The oldest we have is 15, and of course we have many babies as well. Is there an age group you would prefer?”

“Well definitely not babies,” Richie chuckled, “Last time I checked I can’t breastfeed, so that would be unfortunate.”

Annette couldn’t help but laugh, “Here, I’ll take you to the 5-10 room. Is that alright?”

“Works for me.”

Richie followed Annette to a large, open room with about 20 kids in it. Some were

very young, chasing each other around and sitting on the floor playing with toys. Others were older, still running around and playing with toys, just not as enthusiastically. One kid, maybe around 7 or 8, stopped his playing to look up at Richie and say, “Hey, Ms. Annie watches you at midnight!” and kept running. Richie looked over at Annette, who was slightly red.

“There are a lot of stories in this room. Some haven’t been here very long, and some since they were babies. This, along with the infants, is a prime age to adopt. They are still very young and carefree, but they are not completely dependant and can be a lot easier on single parents, such as yourself,” Annette pointed to a boy who was playing with Hot Wheels on the ground, “That’s Gage. He is six years old. His parents were killed in a car accident about 2 years ago and had no extended family to live with. And that’s Bailey, a sassy 5 year old who is obsessed with Disney princesses. One time she kissed a frog that had gotten into the building.”

“That is very gross and unsanitary, but I’m not surprised.”

Annette laughed a little and continued, “That is Madison. She is 7 years old and has been here for 5. She was raised by a single mother, until that single mother got AIDS and passed away. And then there’s--”

“Who’s that?” Richie interrupted, pointing to a girl that was sitting in a beanbag reading a Dork Diaries book. She had dirty blonde hair that went down to the middle of her back and had her long skinny legs folded into herself.

Annette sighed, “That’s Danielle. She’s nine and has been here her entire life. She was found in a cardboard box on the side of the freeway in the middle of the night and was taken here. She’s had barely any luck with families.”

Richie took a few steps toward Danielle, who had no idea she was being talked about, “Why?”

“Because she’s a freak,” spoke a boy who looked to be around Danielle’s age, “she talks to herself and blacks out a lot.”

“The word is she talks to ghosts,” said a little girl, whom Annette had pointed out to be Bailey, “like the ones in Princess and the Frog. She has freaked out some parents by telling them about her ‘invisible friends.’”

Richie looked over to Danielle, who had curled into herself even more, knowing what was being said about her. He couldn’t help but feel bad. Obviously they were just rumors, even if there was some evidence that ghosts could be real.

“She’s a kid,” Richie said, “I bet all of you have had imaginary friends.”

“It’s not just that,” Madison spoke up, “It’s like she can see people’s pasts. She once gave me a hug, then told me all about my mommy dying, even though I never told her anything!”

Richie looked over to Annette, then pulled her aside, “What they’re all saying has to be fake. Why are they bullying Danielle like that?”

Annette looked down to the ground embarrassingly, “There is a reason why Danielle has yet to be adopted. There have been many incidents where she will meet with a family, and then they will leave saying that she isn’t normal, and some would be going on about old memories. She once even mentioned to me how she felt sorry for my deadbeat ex husband for losing me, even though I never told any of the children about that.”

Looking back to Danielle, who still had her nose stuck into her book, Richie shook his head, “She must have just overheard something from one of the teenagers, who must have found out through the power of the internet or something. There is no such thing as ghosts or magic,” he did not take her eyes off of her, “may I speak with her?”  
She hesitated, knowing how things have turned out in the past. But Richie seemed determined. Noticing that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, Annette walked over to Danielle and told her to go to her office. The little girl put down her book and looked straight at Richie with big brown eyes.

_ Those eyes... _ Richie couldn’t help but think, _ Where have I seen eyes like that? _

Probably everywhere. A lot of people had brown eyes.

Danielle nodded at Annette and walked out of the room. The owner then waved over to Richie, telling him to follow her. They went back to her office, where Danielle was sitting in a chair picking at her nails and looking at the ground.

“Danielle,” Annette began, “This is Richard Tozier. Mr. Tozier, Danielle.”

Richie sat in the second chair next to Danielle and put his arm out, “It’s nice to meet you, Danielle.”

Danielle took his hand softly, slightly shaking it before going back to picking at her nail polish.

“Danielle, Mr. Tozier has an interest in adopting you. Why don’t you two take some time to get to know each other.”

Richie nodded while Danielle stayed quiet. He spoke up, “What kind of things do you like?”

“I...I like books a lot,” Danielle said quietly, “I read most of the time. I like movies, too.”

Richie smiled, “You know, I’ve been in a few movies myself. I mean, they are way too inappropriate for a nine year old, but I’ve been in some.”

Danielle laughed a little, “I really like to learn. Ms. Annie homeschools us with a few other tutors. She is a great teacher.”

Annette smiled, “She would thrive at public school. But I don’t have enough money to send them all to school, take care of the infants, and keep this place running. Our tutors are volunteers.”

“I live by a great school district,” Richie said, “the kids in my neighborhood are all very kind and the schools are really good in academics,” he looked at Danielle again, “I live in a really big house, you know. It’s way too big for just one person. There is plenty of space for you to read and watch movies. I have a pool.”

“I don’t know how to swim,” Danielle admitted.

“I can show you,” Richie smiled, “you seem like an amazing girl, Danielle. I don’t believe a single mean thing those other kids say about you. I promise you, if you would come home with me, I will make you laugh, give you what you need and want, and treat you like my own. So, will you consider it?”

Danielle looked over to Annette, who was smiling. It was like she had been waiting for that day for a very long time. She then looked back at Richie, and she couldn’t hide her giant smile. She nodded as tears welled up in her eyes, “Yes. Yes please.”

** _5 Years Later…_ **

“So, I was driving by the woods on the way here, to Augusta, and I always wondered why there were never any wild animals other than, like, dear in books and stuff that take place in the woods. You know, you watch Twilight and what animals do they kill? Deer. In The Hunger Games, what kind of animal does Katniss and Gale hunt? Deer. Well, expect for in the second one where they hunt turkey near a frozen lake, for some reason.”

The crowd laughed, as they usually did at that time. Danielle had grown very used to jokes like that. She actually helped her father with that joke when he was preparing for the tour. It helped that she had read every Twilight and Hunger Games book and seen every movie. She also helped with some others, though her dad was the comedic genius. Ever since she had been adopted, Danielle could tell why Richie was so famous. His jokes and impressions were unparalleled. But as someone who heard these jokes multiple times a week for three months straight, it wasn’t really funny anymore. Which is why she stayed back in his dressing room, listening to the show through the speakers.

It was really cold in the dressing room. Since it was July, Danielle didn’t even consider bringing a jacket with her on her dad’s tour. But of course she only packed tank tops, t-shirt, and shorts. Her dad teased her and said she didn’t have any rational thinking since she was a teenager. He didn’t mean it that way. Danielle loved how he wasn’t serious about much of anything. It helped with her transition when she moved in with him when she was younger, and it helped her get used to the real world.

She saw her dad’s suitcase lying on its back on the floor. She walked over to it and knelt down to open it. She knew Richie wouldn’t care if she put on one of his jackets. She dug through the clothes taking a few pieces out so she could see better. As she took hold of a mustard yellow button-up with red markings, her mind became dizzy and a memory took over.

_ People were yelling over each other at the dinner table. Everyone was leaning over the center, trying to figure out the message that the fortunes made. At the table was a man in a plaid blue shirt, a dark skinned man in a red shirt, a handsome guy in a light blue button-up, a frail-looking man in a red jacket, and a red-haired girl. Each slip of paper read a different word. “Guess,” “Could,” “Cut,” “Not,” and It.” The room was so loud. _

_ “By ‘it’ does it mean It?!” _

_ “‘Guess it could not…’” _

_ “Mike, did you fuck with the fortune cookies?!” _

_ “I need my fucking inhaler!” _

_ Then everyone went quiet and looked at the women. She held a fortune in her hand. Shakily, she put it down in the middle of the table. It read a name. _

_ “Stanley” _

_ The man in the plaid shirt moved the slips of paper to make a sentence. Everyone was dead silent. There was major tension in the air. With all of the fortunes now laying out, the message was more than clear. _

_ “Guess Stanley could not cut it.” _

Danielle came back to reality and dropped her dad’s shirt back into the suitcase. She took a second for the room to stop spinning, then rubbed her eyes, the memory replaying in her brain. It wasn’t the first memory of her father’s she had gained. The first time she met him, when they shook hands for the very first time, she had gained a memory of a missing poster with a young boy on it. The young boy was her father.

She never told him that the “rumors” the other kids at the orphanage had told him were actually true. She couldn’t help when she gained a memory. She didn’t get one every time she touched her father, but it happened more often than she had wanted. She got a lot of his childhood, and some of his time as a budding comedian. She recognized the name Stanley from previous memories, mostly from when her dad was young. Richie and Stanley went to school together. They were friends.

A shiver went down Danielle’s spine. She looked at the open door to the dressing room and saw a man standing at it. He was looking at her. When he noticed she saw him, he quickly left.

“Hey, wait!”

She ran after him. She weaved through the halls of the backstage area. The man

was pretty fast. He made a left, and Danielle made the same. She had found him stopped by the end of the hallway. There was no one else in sight.

“You didn’t have to run,” Danielle said, “No one else can see you.”

The man turned to her and ran a hand through his dark curls, “I was hoping to see Richie, but I saw you instead.”

“He’s on stage right now.”

The man put his hands in his jeans pockets, “How can you see me?”

Danielle shrugged, “I’ve always been able to see ghosts. I promise you, you aren’t the first and won’t be the last. So, what unfulfilled purpose is keeping you from moving on?”

“My friends,” the man said, “I was a coward. Five years ago I got a call that scared me shitless. I was so scared that I ended up doing this to myself,” he held out his wrists, where two long, open cuts stood. No blood came out of them though, since dead people didn’t have blood. Upon seeing the cuts, Danielle realized who this man was.

“Are you...Stanley?”

The man nodded, “Stanley Uris.”

“You were friends with my dad,” Danielle went on, “I’ve seen memories of you two together. You were the cautious one. And you were Jewish.”

“Yeah I guess that sums me up pretty well,” Stanley laughed, “the thing keeping me from moving on is my friends. I abandoned them when they needed me most. I killed myself instead of being there for them. So I want to make sure they are all doing well. I know none of them remember me, but I remember them...wait, did you say your dad?”

Danielle nodded, “My dad, Richie Tozier. He adopted me around five years ago.”

Stanley smiled, “I guess the trip back home did have an impact on him, even if he doesn’t remember it.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Five years ago, a man named Mike Hanlon called all of us, telling us we needed to go back home and fulfill an oath we made when we were kids. I was the only one that didn’t go.”

Danielle was so confused, “So, the memory I literally just got, of a bunch of people around a table, was right before my dad adopted me?”

“I guess so,” Stanley sighed, “I’m almost done with my...mission, you could say. I’ve checked on Mike, Bill, Ben, and Beverly, and right now your father. After that, all I have left is Eddie.”

“What if…” Danielle didn’t know what she was saying. She came up with the idea solely from knowing this ghost was once her father’s friend. He was trustworthy. And she wanted to help him finally move on.

“Yeah?”

“What if I helped you find this Eddie? I gain the memories of people when I touch them. I also can get the memories of objects and times they were interacted with, like my dad’s shirt and the memory of the fortune cookies. If you stick around for a little bit, I could try and get enough memories of Eddie and help you find him.”

Stanley stared at her, “You think so?”

“Yeah, why not? Gives this little curse of mine a purpose.”

“Okay then.”

Danielle held out her hand for Stanley to shake, and he did so. At that moment, a woman walked by and slowed her steps when she passed the intersection. Danielle let go of Stanley’s hand when the woman retreated. It was her dad’s makeup person.

“Danielle, is that you?”

“Yeah, sorry for scaring you,” Danielle put on a smile, “I was just trying to find my way back to the dressing room from the bathroom. This place is a maze.”

“Oh...okay. I just thought I saw a man with you. Guess it’s later than I thought it was,” the makeup lady pointed to her right, “That way back to the dressing room.”

“Thanks, Darla.” 

When Darla was gone, Danielle looked back at Stanley, who was agape.

“She saw me…”

“She saw you,” Danielle looked down at her hands, “when I was touching you.”

“Holy shit.”

Over the speakers, Danielle could tell her dad was about to end the show. She quickly told Stanley, “Meet back in the dressing room around 8pm tomorrow night. My dad has another show.”

“Okay, see you then.”

Danielle bid him goodbye, then ran back to the dressing room. She got there in just enough time to pretend that she never left, getting up and clapping when Richie walked back in, “Great show, daddy.”

“Thanks, Dani,” he smiled and drank a sip of water, “wow I am beat. And hungry. Want to get some late-night iHop?”

“You read my mind,” she walked over to her dad and hugged him, and a memory flooded in.

_ “Look at me! Look at me!” _

_ He placed his hand on the other boy’s face to try and get him to not look at the giant clown that was approaching them. The boy was cradling his broken arm, screaming and crying. _

_ “Eddie, look at me!” _

The memory ended, and Danielle did her best to hide her instability. She held onto her dad even tighter, shutting her eyes tight as her brain began to settle.

~~~~

“I gained another memory from him last night,” Danielle told Stan, whom of which told her to call him that instead of Stanley, “it had Eddie in it.”

“What was it?”

“It was from when you guys were kids,” she said, “there was this giant clown that was taunting you guys. My dad was trying to get Eddie to look at him.”

Stan shivered, “Fu-freaking Pennywise.”

“Who?”

“That damn clown,” Stan explained, “well, not really a clown. Our hometown had this monster that could change into your personal fears and would feed off of the fears of children, kidnapping and killing them. That’s how Bill’s little brother Georgie died.”

“Well that’s a whole lot worse than being able to see dead people,” Danielle became uncomfortable, “so you almost got killed by this monster?”

“Yeah, until we were finally able to muster up the courage to get it to hibernate. Then, 27 years later, Mike calls and says that It’s back. I was too afraid to face It again.”

“That was the oath? To go back home to kill...It. Once and for all.”

“Yeah,” Stan said, “after that, they all moved out. Ben and Beverly got married and had a kid. A cute little boy. Mike moved to Rhode Island, the first time he had ever left. Bill lives in England with his wife Audra, but they don’t have kids. Obviously Richie is doing this. But I cannot find Eddie whatsoever. I know he lived in New York and owned a limo company, but I’ve been through the headquarters and even stowed away on a few limo rides. He wasn’t there.”

“Do you think he could still be back in your hometown?” Danielle asked.

Stan scoffed, “Back in Derry? No way. Even Mike left after killing It. Those kids of memories are the ones you don’t want to keep Eddie wouldn’t stay.”

“Do you, like, lose the memories of Derry once you leave?”

Stan nodded, “I had forgotten all about the summer of 1989 until Mike called. But now that I’m dead, I remember everything.”

Danielle fiddles with her fingers, then went over to her dad’s suitcase. She grabbed the shirt she had gotten a memory from the day before, but nothing came up when she touched it this time. She went back to sit down.

“I got a really vivid memory of when my dad went back when I held this shirt,” she explained, “I’m going to try and force another one. My hunch is that a lot happened when he was wearing this.”

Stan nodded and moved over to give her some space. Danielle balled the shirt into her hands and closed her eyes. She cleared her mind of all other thoughts, then a memory took over.

_ The sewer had green, eerie tone to it. They followed a man in a plaid blue shirt. _

_ Bill. Bill Denbrough. _

_ He helped the other man up a pile of junk and waste. Everyone was tense. They knew It was lurking nearby. They knew It wasn’t far. _

_ “Its home is down that way,” Bill said, pointing, “it’s where I found Bev floating.” _

_ “It’s where we defeated It the first time,” said another guy. It was Ben Hanscom. _

_ “Someone needs to see if Its there,” Beverly Marsh spoke up, “or if It is trying to trick us.” _

_ “It’s definitely trying to trick us,” said the person at the point of view, Richie Tozier. The person to his left smacked his arm. _

_ “Let’s all go,” said the dark-skinned man, Mike Hanlon, “remember, it is better that we stick together.” _

_ They all began to move, except for one. They turned to see a man in a red hoodie still standing in his spot, afraid to go any further. _

_ Eddie Kasprack. _

_ “Eddie, we all need to do this,” said Bill, “there’s no going back.” _

_ “The last time we were there, we didn’t kill It,” Eddie said, his breath getting choppy, “and we know he’s only gotten worse. Who knows what we’ll face in there? I’m not ready for that.” _

_ The whole frame moved closer to him. Richie had gone over to him. _

_ “I get it. This is fucking crazy. This whole trip has been fucking crazy. But this is our chance to stop the murders. To end Its terror on this town. It’s afraid of us, even if it doesn’t show it.” _

_ Eddie still hesitated. Richie then took his hand. _

_ “You’re braver than you think.” _

Danielle came back and the world was going in circles. She grabbed her head and let everything stop spinning before looking back at Stan.

“I saw right before they defeated It for good,” she told him, still trying to process everything, “Eddie was scared. My dad tried to comfort him. I guess they were pretty close.”

Stan only nodded. Danielle went on, “Maybe something happened that day in the sewer. Maybe...maybe Eddie never got out.”

“Are you saying...that Eddie could be gone?”

Danielle shrugged, “Possibly. If he didn’t go right back home like the rest of your friends, then maybe he didn’t even make it out of the sewers.”

Stan bit his lip. He hated the thought of another Loser losing their life because of that clown. But it was the most likely scenario. 

“I guess I don’t need to see Eddie then,” Stan said, “he’s probably already in that other place, I guess,” he got up from his seat, “Now, I’m going to go watch the rest of your father’s show. Then, now that I’ve met you, knowing that he is happy with you, I can rest. Thank you, Danielle. For everything.”

They hugged. Somehow, Stan felt warm to Danielle. She watched as he left the room, knowing it was the last time she would ever see him. But something still didn’t sit right.

She pulled out her phone and looked up directions to Derry. She was relieved to see that it was only about an hour away from Augusta. Danielle knew that her father had an important meeting with his manager in the morning and was going to spend the day with his team before they left that night, leaving Danielle alone in the hotel. She had enough money to rent a bike. She could make it to and back from Derry without her dad even knowing she was gone.

~~~~

“Okay, I left you some cash for breakfast and lunch,” Richie said while pulling on his jacket, “don’t be afraid to go to the pool or something. Meet some new people. Just don’t talk to adults and don’t rent any R rated movies.”

“Got it,” Danielle replied, still curled up in the hotel bed. It wasn’t even 7am yet. She leaned up and held her arms out, “Hug?”

Richie couldn’t deny his little girl, so he leaned over and embraced her in his arms. 

And Danielle’s mind began to fade.

_ “EDDIE!” _

_ He watched the man in the red jacket fall onto the ground. Everyone let go of the monster, and it took the opportunity to run away. The person in the point of view, Richie, got onto his hands and knees and crawled over to Eddie’s body. _

_ “Eddie...Eds, please no…” _

_ “Richie…” _

_ Eddie touched Richie’s cheek with his left hand. Richie could not stop the tears running down his face. _

_ “What?” _

_ “Stop calling me Eds…” _

Danielle snapped back, then quickly leaned up to give her dad a kiss on the cheek, “Have fun!”

“Ugh, let me tell you something about adulting, Dani,” Richie smirked, “nothing about it is fun.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head, grabbed his wallet, and left.

Danielle waited about 30 seconds before bolting out of bed and getting dressed. She pulled on some jean shorts and a white tank top. She slipped on some white tennis shoes before grabbing the somewhat thick envelope of money her dad left her and her key card and leaving the hotel room.

She hid behind a couch in the lobby as she watched her father get into an Uber through the window. Once the car pulled away, Danielle went outside and followed the directions on her phone that lead her to the nearest bike rental place. Luckily for her, it was only a 15 minute walk from the hotel. When she got there, she picked out a random, yet durable bike, paid the man with some of the cash her dad gave her, then left on her trek for Derry.

Well, not before stopping by Starbucks and getting some breakfast.

She put her bluetooth earbuds in so she could hear the directions to Derry on her phone, and put her phone in her pocket. Before she knew it, she exiting the capital city of Maine and was sandwiched by dense forest.

Maine was so beautiful. The trees were so green, the air so fresh. California wasn’t like this. At least, LA wasn’t. She could just imagine her father and his friends when he was her age, riding their bikes through the woods, laughing and playing. Life must have been so simple.

Well, take away the murderous clown monster. That could not have been simple.

Time seemed to just fly by, because Danielle was extremely surprised to see a _ Welcome to Derry _ sign. She also was surprised by the amount of ghosts being stopped by an invisible force, trying to leave the town. Somehow, they couldn’t.

Danielle had no clue where to go from here. Derry was awfully big for being a small town. She was sure her dad had been almost everywhere with his friends. But then she remembered the memories. The ones that almost seemed green. They were in the sewers.

That’s where Eddie died.

She made her way to an entrance of the sewers, a place called the Barrens. There was a huge tunnel that led into the sewage system. Danielle leaned her bike against the outside of it and pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. She took a few steps inside, but not before getting her shiny white shoes soaked in grey water.

“Oh fuck…” she said, walking back out and taking off her shoe. It was now extremely dirty and smelled exactly how grey water would smell. She shook it in the air for a few minutes, trying to get it dry enough to put back on. When it was and she did, she realized how bad of an idea it was to go in there.

She knew ghosts could travel anywhere. Contrary to popular belief, they weren’t confined to the place they died for the rest of eternity. Some ghosts were just more comfortable in those places. Others liked to wander around, travel the world and try to experience things like the living. That’s why Stan was able to check up on all of his friends. Perhaps Eddie did leave the sewers. Maybe he had already moved on. There was no way to know.

God, this was such a bad idea.

Danielle followed a trail against the creek and into the woods, where she landed herself onto a bridge. There was a carving on the wooden railing that read _ Kissing Bridge _. As she walked along the path, she saw names and initials carved into the railings. It was like those places where couples put locks to show their love, but more permanent. Danielle admired all of the declarations of love. 

Then, she looked up from the railing and stopped. Maybe 20 yards from her was a man. A man in a black jacket. He had only one arm. He was looking at a carving on the railing, smiling. Danielle recognized his face.

“This place really is breathtaking,” Danielle spoke up, catching the man’s attention, “so much love in one place.”

He stared at her, and she stared at him. His big brown eyes were wide, fear filling them. Danielle took a few steps forward, and he took a few back.

“There’s no need to be scared,” she told him, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“H-How can you see me?” He asked,”No one has ever been able to see me.”

“I’ve been able to see ghosts my entire life,” Danielle explained, “and actually, I came looking for you. Eddie Kasprack?”

The man nodded, “Yeah, that’s me.”

Danielle continued, “I met another ghost the other day. His name was Stan Uris. His goal was to make sure that all of the friends he abandoned were doing alright. That led me to you.”

“Well, I’m stuck here,” he gestured around with his one arm, “any spirit that was taken by that motherfucking clown is stuck here. We can’t leave this town. We can move on, but we can’t leave.”

“I’m so sorry,” Danielle said, “what is it keeping you from moving on?”

Eddie’s lips formed a soft smile. He looked at a carving on the railing and said, “Richie Tozier.”

Danielle was taken aback. She looked at the carving. It read _ R + E _. She placed her hand on the engraving, and a memory took over.

_ The _ R _ was already there. He had put that there when he was a kid. But now he was an adult. He had just lost the person he loved. _

_ He took the knife in his hand and finished the carving, after a long 27 years of not even remembering who Eddie Kasprack was. When he was done, he wiped a tear from his face and leaned his forehead against the railing, taking it all in. With a small smile, Richie stood up and walked away, leaving the _ R + E _ to bask in the spring sun _.

“He put this here,” Danielle said as she came back.

“Yeah,” Eddie said, leaning against the railing, “I found it not long after I died. I knew he was already long gone by then. I knew he didn’t remember me. But I knew he loved me, and he knew I loved him.”

Danielle sighed, leaning her head against the spot, like her dad did in the memory. She never once considered that the factor that played into her dad never getting married was unknown feelings for a man that died in his arms. Maybe the pull to have someone to love was what drew Richie into adopting her in the first place. Maybe she was picked by him for a reason.

Then a voiced piped from behind her.

“Dani?!”

She stood up and turned around, and her father came running towards her. Of course he would find out. Danielle was never good about thinking her plans through.

“Oh my God, Dani,” he scooped her up into his arms, and she relaxed against him. No memory came from this touch. He set her down and moved some hair from in front of her face, “What the hell were you thinking?! How the hell did you find this place?! I never even told you about Derry.”

“Is it because you forgot?” Danielle asked.

Richie could never lie to her, “As soon as I crossed the town line, a lot of things came flooding back. Dani, a few months before I adopted you, I did something really freaking crazy.”

“You killed a fear-eating clown monster. I know.”

“How?” Richie asked.

Danielle was not prepared for this moment, but she knew it was going to happen at some point. So she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “Your friend Stan told me.”

There was a pause, and then a very quiet, “...what?”

“Daddy…” she looked back at Eddie, who had his hand over his mouth, very shocked by what was happening, “Daddy, I can see ghosts. And I can get the memories of people and objects. What the kids told you at the orphanage was true. All of it.”

Richie was seemingly staring straight through her. As the memories of his childhood and his return 5 years prior came back, he realized that her being able to see ghosts was a totally plausible thing. He didn’t remember any of that when he adopted her.

“Even if I did believe in that stuff, even if I did remember, I still would have taken you,” he smiled sadly, “nothing would have changed.”

Danielle heard a sniff and a sneeze. She turned around and saw that Eddie was crying. He was definitely overwhelmed with what was going on. But through his tears he was smiling. Smiling at Richie. It was about time that he finally moved on, and Danielle was going to help with that.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah, honey?”

She smirked a little, “Was Eddie always this much of a sap?”

Richie froze. Memories of the sewers, of Eddie dying in his arms, of him cradling his dead body, of him wanting to run back into the collapsed Neibolt house to get him back all came crashing in. Just with his name. Just Eddie fucking Kasprack.

“Is...um…” Richie fumbled with his words, “is he...here right now?”

Danielle didn’t reply. She instead held her hand out. She then looked over at Eddie and said, “Go on.”

Eddie took her hand, and then Richie saw it. Richie saw _ him _.

“Holy fuck…” he whispered, taking a few steps towards him, “Eds…”

“What did I saw about calling me that?” Eddie teased, tears still not stopping. Richie was now crying, too.

“I miss you so much,” Richie said through his tears, “I know I didn’t remember you, but now that I do, fuck I miss you.”

“I miss you, too, Trashmouth,” Eddie said, “everyday I come here and look at our carving. Even in death, we live on together.”

Richie reached out to touch Eddie’s cheek. He was more than surprised when his hand didn’t slip through, but brush against his skin. It was warm.

“I wish you could come home with me, with us,” he looked at his daughter with pride, “I wish you were alive. God, you would be such a great dad. We would be great dads together.”

Eddie smiled, “You seem to be doing pretty good on your own. She’s a wonderful girl.”

Richie knew what he wanted to do. Was it weird, especially since Eddie was dead and holding hands with Danielle? Most of him didn’t care. So, without replying, Richie stared into those big brown eyes, leaned in, and pressed his lips against Eddie’s.

It was warm. It was comforting. It was like he was actually alive. This is what he was waiting on. The closure. The knowing that Richie was going to be alright without him. With Danielle, he knew that. With that kiss, he knew that. So when they parted, Eddie could only smile. He quickly whispered to Richie, “I love you,” before closing his eyes and fading away for good.

Danielle took her dad’s hand and guided him off the bridge and into town, where their Uber driver was waiting for them. They strapped the rented bike to the back, got in the car, and headed back to Augusta.

About halfway through the trip, Richie spoke up, “I don’t want to forget him again. But I know it’s going to happen.”

“I’ll help you remember,” Danielle said, “I will make sure you remember.”

Richie smiled and held his daughter close to him. As he did so, Danielle slipped away and a memory took over.

_ There was no one on the Kissing Bridge. No one to catch him. No Henry Bowers to taunt him. He didn’t know why he was doing this, but he didn’t want to bail. _

_ He found a blank area on the rail. With a deep breath, he took his knife and carved his own initial, an _ R _ , and a plus sign. Then he stopped. He didn’t know if Eddie felt like that about him. He didn’t want to finish it if he wasn’t sure if Eddie would just laugh in his face and cross it out. _

_ So he stopped. _

_ He stood up and put the knife in his pocket. There was still room for an _ E _ in the future. Just not right now. _

  
_ But maybe when they were older _.


End file.
